Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice

In India, coconut rice (Tamil:தேங்காய் சாதம்) is famous in the southern regions. It is made with coconut flakes (or grated or desiccated/dry coconut). One way to make this dish is to make the rice separately (preferably using a rice variety which is light and fluffy when cooked) and then mixing it with the coconut mixture (coconut flakes toasted in sesame/coconut oil and spiced with paprika, nuts, curry powder/leaves and other spices).

This recipe is made with ingredients that can be purchased in any American supermarket.

Reference

Au Gratin

Au Gratin

History

Au Gratin is a widespread culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind. A gratin is baked or cooked under an overhead grill or broiler to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Remove roots and green leaves from leeks. Wash and dry the white part of the leek.

Split leeks in half lengthwise. Then chop crosswise into thin to medium size half moon crescents. Dice garlic

Sauté leeks slowly in approximately one tablespoon of the butter on medium low heat in a nonstick pan until soft but not brown (about 6-8 minutes). Add garlic and sauté for a minute more. Add a dash of vermouth (or white wine) and sauté a minute more until most of the vermouth (white wine) has evaporated. The leeks should be damp, but not swimming in vermouth (white wine). Remove leeks from heat, cover and let sit.

Peel and slice potatoes evenly into approximately 1/8 inch slices. Dump slices in cold water as you slice so that the potatoes don’t turn brown. (note: I peel and slice each potato individually rather than peeling them all first so that the peeled potatoes spend less time sitting around possibly turning brown.)

Grate a block of Gruyere so that you have 1 cup of grated Gruyere.

Lightly butter the baking dish. Drain potatoes taking care not to break them.

Lay down one layer of potato in the dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle with sauteed leek mixture. Then sprinkle with some of the Gruyere. Finally dot with one or two bits of butter (optional). Repeat sequence until all potatoes are used. The last layer should be just a layer of potatoes.

Slowly pour cream all over potatoes in dish. Finish with a few shavings of Gruyere which will give a nice color and a little bit of crust. Bake for approximately 1 ¼ to 1 1/2 hours. Cream should simmer and may even gently bubble, but it should never boil (boiling will cause the cream to separate and curdle). It’s done when it has a nice golden brown / orange color; the potatoes are tender but still hold their shape; and the cream has thickened and reduced slightly. Let cool for 15-20 min before serving.

Reference

Latkes

Potato Latkes Healthy Recipe

Potato pancakes are shallow-fried pancakes of grated or ground potato, flour and egg, often flavored with grated onion or garlic and seasoning. Potato pancakes may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from the savory (such as sour cream or cottage cheese) to the sweet (such as apple sauce or sugar), or they may be served ungarnished. Potato pancakes are sometimes made from mashed potatoes to produce pancake-shaped croquettes.

In this recipe we bake the latkes rather than frying them. Frying the latkes is the conventional way of preparing but less healthy.

This recipe is served with a complementary Green Machine salad.

The Green Machine Salad Recipe

Ingredients

  1. Salary
  2. Avocado
  3. Onion
  4. Cilantro
  5. Olive oil
  6. Salt
  7. Paper

Mix all the ingredients and serve fresh.
Reference

Chana Masala

Chana Masala

Chana Masala or Chole Masala is a popular vegetable dish in Pakistani cuisine & Indian cuisine. The main ingredient is chickpeas. It is fairly dry and spicy with a sour citrus note. The dish is found throughout South Asia, and is particularly popular in northern India and Pakistan. Chana Masala is very easy to prepare. The preparation time is about 30 – 40 minutes.
Reference

Tartiflette

How to make Tartiflette

Tartiflette is a French dish from the Haute Savoie region of France. It is made with potatoes, reblochon cheese (substituted by camembert cheese in this recipe), cream, and lardons (substituted by ham cubes). It is also commonly found with onions. A popular variation of this dish is to substitute the lardons with smoked salmon. The word tartiflette is likely derived from the Arpitan word for potato, tartifla.

This modern recipe was inspired by a truly traditional dish called “péla”: a gratin of potatoes, onions and cheese made in a long-handled pan called pelagic (shovel) in Francoprovençal parts of France. It was developed in the 1980s by the Union Interprofessional Reblochon to promote sales of the reblochon , as confirmed also Christian Millau (Gault-Millau Guide) in his dictionary of gastronomy lovers.

The name derives from the name tartiflette of potato Savoyard tartifles, a term also found in Provencal tartifles. The Savoyards first heard of the tartiflette when it arrived on the menus of restaurants in the ski stations, conveying an image of friendliness, authenticity, and soil of the mountain.

Reference Material.